Automatic road-map for automobiles.



H. L. TRIPLETT. AUTOMATIO ROAD MAP POR AUTOMOBILES;

- APPLICATION FILED .TUNE 20, 1911.

Patented O@t.1,'1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. L. TRIPLETT. AUTOMATIC ROAD MAB FOR AUTOMOBILES.

'APPLIOA'TION FILED JUNE 2D, 1911.

Patented Get. 1

2 SHHBTHHEET 2.

p To all whomI it may concern:

- in going in either object of the invention UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

HUGH L. TBIPLETT, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

AU'T'OMA'IIQIQ'I ROAD-MAP FOR AUTOMOBILES.

`Slipecication of Letters Patent. Application iiled June 20, .1911. Serial No. 634,376.

Be it known that I, citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Road-Maps for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates Ato mapsandparticularly to an automobile road map, the being to provideY a map mounted upon any convenient portion of an automobile and lshifted by engagement with the driving wheels of the lautomobile so that the map will shift across the field of sight in time with the forward movement of the automobile.

Another object of the. invention is the provision of a mechanism for supporting the map whereby the map may be reversely wound so that the same map may be used direction along'. the same road, by slmply transposing the spool from which the map is unwound from one position to another.

A further object is to provide a system. of gearing so arranged that the map will; shift at a speed proportionate to but of course very much less than the speed of the automobile. Y f i A further object is to provide meansl whereby the map rolling and unrolling mechanism may be disconnected from its" driving mechanism so that the automobile may be operated without operating the I ma f 4lilfy invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the forward portion of an automobile showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a I HUGH L. TnIPLE'rr,

Vtionally suppor i constitutes a the circumference of a gear wheel 11.

section on the line 3 3 of Fig. is a plan view partly sectional of. my at-l tachment. yFig. 5 is a section on the linei 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section of one ofthe spools on which the; map is wound showing 'the means for attaching the map` to the spool.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

The' map actuating mechanism of my inl vention is contained within a case- 2 shownas rectangular and as having a cover 3:

with a glass panel 4 therein whereby the map may be observed. The front end of the case is formed with lugs 5, brackets or other supporting members whereby the case may be attached to the dashboard of an automobile, as illustrated 'in Fig. l. The case is downwardly and rearwardly inclined so thatthe of the machine, and the case may be addiby means of a bracket 6, also attached to the dashboard of the machine. I of course do not wish to limit myself to any specific construction for this case.

Supported within the case is a spool upon which is initially wound the map. Supported. at the lower end of the case and opposite -to the spool is a winding spool or roller upon-which the map is wound. The

Amap is passed overa driving roller which is driven by a train of gear wheels from driving mechanism connected to one of the driving aXles of the machine. l

By reference to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the case 2 is divided into two parts by means of an interior longitudinally extending par' formed by the partition 7 tition 7 The compartment 8 exterior wall of the case and the gear case in which are located the gears for driving the map engaging rolle Passing up through the bottom of the case and into the compartment 8 near the upper end of the machine is a worm shaft 9 formed with a worm 10 engaging teeth on This gear wheel isv relatively has twenty-four teeth. Mounted upon the shaft 12 of this gear wheel is a gear wheel 13 which is relatively small,` preferably about half the size of the gear wheel 11 and Patented oet. 1, 1912.

face of the case may be in convenient position to be observed by the driver' large and preferably 1s .preferably provided with ten teeth.

of thirty teeth and slightly larger therefore than the gearwheel 11 which intermeshes with the gear wheel -13 and is ldriven therefrom, and also mounted upon `the shaft 14 is a gear wheel 16 which has ten teeth and intermeshes with a relativel large gear wheel 17 'mounted upon a sha t18. This'A shaft carries upon it a relatively small gear wheel 19 having ten teeth whichfmeshes with a relativelyl large kgear wheel 20 having preferably twenty-six teeth and which is mounted upon a shaft .'21 disposed above and slightlyfin advance of the shaft 18.

ounted upon a shaft 14 is a gear wheel l5 Mounted upon theshaft 21 is a rubber roller 22 whichextends entirely -across the main compartment ofthe case 2 and over which the map 23 travels. Supported upon .the `case above the roller 22 is a small rubber roller 24 whichv is spring `pressed against the face of the map 23 as it passes over the .roller 22, *thel spring being tensioned by means of the thumbscrews-25. This roller' 24 may be supported'in anysuitable manner uponthe case 2.

Themap 23 is 'initially wound upon a` spool detachably supported at the upper end vby a of the case, 'and from thence passed over a supporting plate 26 and over the roller 22 by which it is driven. It is wound up upon a receiving spool, vwhich in turn is driven spring actuated gear wheel 27. The spring 28 actuatingthis gear wheel Will tend to keep the receiving spool wound up so as A to prevent any slack in the map between the drivmg roller 22 and the receiving spool.

of the case and the former delivery spool.

' shaft shifted to the lower end of the case ing and form a receiving spool so that the map may be run reversely to its original direction of travel with relation to the country delineated on the map. I do not wish to limit .myself to any particular'manner of attach- Preferably Il the map to they spools. show each spool as formed with a central body 28 and end flanges 29, and provide the central body 28 with a hook-like finger 30 (see Fig. 6) which will engage with a loop formed at each end ofthe map. Any" 31 other suitable means for engaging the spools with the map may be used, however.- I do not wish either to be limited to any particular means for detachably supporting the delivery and receiving spools within the frame. I have shown for this purpose, however, the partition 7 as being provlded with a rotatable member 32 having therein a socket in which thegudgeon 33 of the spool enga es. The opposite slde wall of the casing .is s otc ted as at 34 so that the gudgeon 35 ofthe spool may beinserted in this slot. A latch 36 1s pivoted to the side of the casing so as to be turned down over the gudgeon.` Thls latch lis held in'place by means of a spring or other suit-able devices and may be turned upto permit the removal of the spool.

At the lower end of the frame the wall 7 is rotatable member 37 which is precisely the same as the member 3 2vand that a thirty-eight llike it is-provided with a square socket. The

gudgeons 33 and 35 of each spool are provided at each end with a squared head which will engage in this square socket. The member 37 is driven by engagement with lthe vspring actuated gear wheel 27, by means of pinion 27a.

Itwill be obvious that one rotation of the worm shaft 9 will cause the gear wheel 11 to move one tooth, and this will transmit a much reduced motion to the shaft 14, and this motion in turn will be transmitted to the gear wheel 19 and from this gear wheel to the gear wheel 20 and that thus a very slight motion will be communicated to the rubber roller 22 over which the map 23 passes. By properly proportioning these gears 11, 13, 15, 16, 17, 19 and 22, it is possi- ,ble to secure any desired rate of travel for the map. Preferably, however, the gears will be so proportioned that the map will travel about two inches for every mile of road covered by the automobile in its travel.

I do not wish to limit myself to any particular means for driving the train of gears which actuate the map, but I have preferably used for this purpose a flexible shaft 38 which at one end is connected to the worm shaft 9 and at-its other end carries a bevel gearwheel 39 which engages with a bevel gear wheel 40 on the traction Wheel shaft 41. Preferably the wheel 40 is a wheel lof thirty-six teeth, and the wheel 39 is also provided with thirty-six teeth. A thirtysix inch ywheel is preferably rovided with a gear 40 provided with thirty-six teeth, butfor different sizes of wheels the gear 40 must be changed. Preferably the gear 40 on the wheel which drives the shaft 38 'should be formed with the same number of teeth as the wheel is inches in diameter, but the gear 39 on the shaft 38 should have only thirty-six teeth. Thus if the drivin wheel is thirty-eight inches in diameter, t ie gear wheel 40 should have this engaging with the gear 39 having thirty-six teeth will drive it 38/36 as fast as a thirty-six inch wheel, for lthe reason inch wheel makes fewer revolutions to a mile than a thirty-six inch wheel.

In order to disconnect the shaft 9 from the gear 11, I provide a leverf42 which 1s angular in shape and which has a rounded face engaging with an abutment 43 within thegear case. The lever 42 has a pin which operates in the slot 44, and the inner angular end of the lever is pivoted to a swlvel 45 within which the extremity of the shaft 9 is received. The worm on the shaft 9 is held in engagement with the ear 11 by means of a yoke 46 which is guide by or carrled upon a pin 47 loosely connected at its outer end to the gear case and surrounded by a coil spring 48. When the lever 42 is pulled over thirty-eight teeth, and

in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 2), the worm on the shaft 9 is thrown out of mesh with the gear 11. When the lever is turned to the position illustrated in Fig. 2, the spring 48 forces the shaft 9 into engagement with the gear wheel 1 1.

The map 23 consists of a narrow stripof paper, provided at its ends with loops whereby it may be attached to the spools. Extending longitudinally along the map 'is a line a indicating the line of travel to be taken by the automobile, as for instance a certain definite rollte from one city to an adjacent city. Extending laterally from this line are lines indicating intersecting or branching roads which are designated ZJ. .lf the road itself turns, an indication of this turning movement is made by ott'setting line a as at c either to the right or to the left, but the main line continues beyond this offset in practically a middle position with relation to the side edges of the strip 23. I have found by experience that. it is amply suflicient to indicate a turning olf to the automobilist without so forming the map as to sliow the exact form of this turn. I l

The map is preferably covered with a glass panel 4f, and the glass panel is prefering on said ably providedl with marks indicating the place on the road Where the machine is sup--v posed to be at any particular time.. As illustrated in Fig. 4 the glass panel is pro vided with two semicircular marks which inclose that portion of the map indicating that particular part of the road on which the automobile is traveling.

`an angle lever having While the map might be of any suitable length, and therefore might cover a very eX- tendcd trip, I preferably forni the map in relatively short sections covering a rela'- tively short section of road. When one section has been wound up upon the receiving spool, the spool with a map of another section of road might be inserted in place, etc., until the tour was completed. Upon a return trip over the same roads, the spools are replaced but in reverse vorder so that the last spoolused would be used first upon a return trip, and the map is run oft' reversely.v It is thus adaptable for use in either-direction upon a road. Furthermore, it will be possible to provide the strip 23 with' maps upon both faces, thus making one strip do for two sections of road.

I' do not wish to be limited to any of the details of my invention as it is obvious that many changes might be made wit-hout departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claim. l

What l claim is: A map carrier for vehicles comprising a case, a longitudinal partition dividing the ease into tivo co1apartments. rollers in one of said compartments, a. web connected to said rollers to wind from one to the other, a train of gearing in the other compartment, connections whereby said gearing will aetuate the web, a dririug'slmtt entering the ease adjacent one end. gear of the train of gearing, a yoke slidahly mounted iu the ease and carrying said yoke to press the same toward the gearing and hohl the shaft normallylin operative engagement with the gearing, a swivel on the end of the shaft, au abutment in the ease :uljaeent the end of the shaft, and an arm projecting through the case, an arm pivoted to the swivel, a pin and slot connection with the case and acani edge bearing against the abutment.

In testimony whereof, I affix my Signat-ure presence of two witnesses. i

HUGH L. 'FRIILIGT'R itnesses:

C. V. Kurs, 1to1". STALDER. 

